


Time will take you back to believing

by chocolatedisco



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 02:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12739353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolatedisco/pseuds/chocolatedisco
Summary: Ryoma's first night in his new home.





	Time will take you back to believing

**Author's Note:**

> I love Ryoma too much to not write horrendous fluff about him. Sorry if there are any errors, I do not have the energy to check everything against canon. I was gonna use a Crime and Punishment name for the cat, but Alyosha is just cuter... If they ever get a second cat it's absolutely gonna be named Porfiry though.
> 
> Warnings: depression, intelligence-based insults

The taxi driver roared away the second the doors were shut and his passengers safely out of his path. Ryoma couldn't blame him too much for having a working sense of self-preservation. A full pardon from the prime minister's office meant he was legally no longer any threat to society, but legality amounts to little when faced with a murderer, forced to drive him and his companion back to the city from the prison building itself. Shuichi had tried to start some polite conversation to defuse the tension, but it amounted to little. So they had sat in silence until the end, when he stopped and said "thank you, gooodnight."

"I'm sorry, Ryoma. I... I'll have to learn how to deal with those kinds of people."

"People who are scared of prisoners? Don't overwork yourself. At least save it for someone unreasonable."

"I just... This isn't how I wanted to bring you home." Shuichi's fists were balled up at his sides, and Ryoma took one in his hand, tracing gentle circles until he felt it relax.

"I'll have forgotten about it by the time we walk in the door. Promise."

"Alright. I won't keep you waiting any longer, then." He retrieved a key from his pocket, but rather than opening the door, he handed it to Ryoma. "This one's yours."

"Being a little sappy, aren't you?" Ryoma smiled despite himself as he examined the cute cartoon cat keychain. Any excuse for a gift with Shuichi. "I'll know it's my place too even if you're the one who opens the door."

"I'm sure you're right. But it won't hurt either, will it?"

"Stubborn. Not that I'm in any position to complain about that." Ryoma shrugged, unlocked the door, and let it swing open.

"Welcome home."

"I'm back. Aren't you coming home too, though?"

"Yes. I'm back."

"Welcome home." Now he'd gotten all sappy too. He rolled his eyes before finally stepping inside. It was unremarkable as far as apartments went: little more than a few books on the shelves as decoration, a second-hand couch in front of a third-hand TV, a table that would struggle to seat more than two tucked away in the tiny kitchen.

"Is it always going to be this clean, or is this a first impression thing?"

"I don't leave things around much. You're welcome to make a mess if you like." Shoes arranged neatly by the door, no dishes on the counter, not so much as a stray paper on the table. Everything seemed to be in its place, save a strange grey lump on the couch. Ryoma approached to get a better look and perhaps question Shuichi's taste in cushions, but he froze when he saw the ears and sleeping face—a face he recognized immediately.

"A... Alyosha? Is that really... Shuichi, how did you..."

"One of the easier missing pet cases I've handled, actually," he smiled and scratched the back of his neck. "I only had to track down a couple of your old teammates before I found out who you left Alyosha with. He says he's happy for you, and that he hopes he can come visit Alyosha sometime."

"Shuichi... I don't know." Ryoma took a seat on the couch, his eyes locked on Alyosha as if he would disappear if Ryoma blinked too long. "I'm sure Alyosha was happy with him. It's been too long, there's no way he remembers me."

"You can't know that before you've even said hello to him."

"You're not supposed to wake cats if you can help it, they need their sleep—" he went quiet when Alyosha stirred, stretching this way and that. "Alyosha... I'm sorry, were we too loud for you?" The cat took one look at Ryoma, tensed, and pounced straight into his lap, butting Ryoma's arm until he tentatively rose it to scratch behind his ears, a smile spreading across his face as Alyosha purred.

"I'm not much of a cat expert, but he wasn't nearly so kind to me. I've got the scratch marks to prove it."

"Oh, Alyosha. He's a good cat, he'll warm up to you. You didn't have any plans, did you? I think we have to stay like this for a little while."

"This was what I had in mind, actually. I'm glad he woke up. Do you want a movie on?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Shuichi... thanks." Shuichi shot him a smile before going to pick something out of a stack of DVDs.

* * *

When the credits rolled, neither of them were could say what the movie had been about—it was little more than background noise to fill the lulls between Shuichi's stories of all the places in the neighbourhood he and Ryoma should go together: a ramen stall he visited whenever he solved a case, a small grocery store that kept a pet cat who roamed around the aisles, a park that had just finished installing new tennis courts last week. At some point Alyosha decided he'd had enough attention for the moment, leaving Ryoma free to stand up and stretch. "You don't mind if I go to bed a little early tonight? I'm pretty worn out."

"Of course not. I can, er... stay out here, if you'd like some personal space. I know you didn't get much privacy before."

"No, I didn't. So now that I have my personal space, I decide who's allowed in, and you're it. Come on, we've got a neighbourhood to explore tomorrow." Shuichi let out a little laugh and led him to the bathroom, a stepstool by the sink so they could brush their teeth side by side, giggling as their heads bonked together when they went to spit at the same time.

Eventually they made their way to the bedroom; Shuichi walked up to one dresser and pointed Ryoma to a mismatched, shorter second. "Most of your things are in there. The closet's going to be a little cramped, sorry."

"My things?" Ryoma opened a drawer, and there they were—folded too neatly, not organized the same way he'd have done it, but they were his clothes from before he went to prison. "Ah."

"Yes. I washed them, of course. We can get new ones later, if you want... Oh! I, I'm sorry!" Shuichi quickly turned away, cheeks red. Ryoma turned away to give him his privacy as well; their relationship hadn't seen anything more physical than a few kisses, and he was in no rush to push it further. When they were both safely pajamaed they turned towards each other again and laughed at each other's t-shirts: _World's Greatest Detective_ for Shuichi, _Kiss My Ace_ for Ryoma. "Wow. Yours makes me feel better about mine." Ryoma flipped him off, sending him laughing even harder towards the light switch. Soon they were under the covers, just barely able to make each other out by what moonlight slipped through the blinds. Shuichi was staring at Ryoma, smiling. It felt good, until Ryoma remembered—he always felt bad. He slowly turned himself over to gaze at the wall instead. There was no facing that smile. "Ryoma?"

"You're an idiot for doing all this for me. And I'm an asshole for letting you." He could feel himself starting to tremble, tears forming in his eyes despite all the practice he had staving them off. "You really think you can salvage me? Or that it's even worth it?"

"Ryoma... Can I...?"

"Please." The word slipped out quick and unbidden. He had no time to feel pathetic for begging; Shuichi closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Ryoma from behind and pressing himself tight against his back. It wasn't as though they'd never hugged, but the last time he'd been held like this... God, he missed her.

"I don't know if I think I can do anything. But I'm going to do it anyway. You're too important not to. I love you." Those words in his ear, quiet and sincere, finally brought him to tears in earnest. He'd forgotten what it was like to truly acknowledge all he'd lost, ugly sobs echoing through the silence, his body so trained for responsiveness shaking uncontrollably. Only, it was different this time, Shuichi holding him tight with so much more strength than his scrawny arms ought to possess. Shuichi holding him tight until he could be quiet again. "Maybe I am an idiot. But I'm not giving up on you. Now or ever. Do you think you can get used to that?"

"Stubborn," Ryoma managed, wiping tears and snot from his face. "I'll try. It's the least I can do... I love you too. Do you think we can stay like this? For tonight?"

"Of course." Shuichi kissed him on the back of his head, and they settled in for the night.


End file.
